In the Hands of a God
by TankNLegs
Summary: In the last few moments of his life, Madara Uchiha created a plan that would lead to the fruition of his ultimate aspiration. He was a god and like any god he would not be bond to death. The world could only watch and wait to see it unfold. [AU] (Weaker and Meeker Naruto)


In a cave in the darkest corners of the world, one of the greatest evils alive considered his thoughts. Madara had failed, that much was apparent. His ambition was set back for the time being. His second attack upon the Leaf Village had failed. He was older now, weaker, leaving this place meant death for him. His proxy attack via the clones of Zetsu, his will manifested, were fruitless in achieving their goal. Unfortunately, one of the jinchuriki had been killed as well. There was no telling when that tailed beast would return. Madara could not wait that long.

In the later part of his life he had not expected to become so dependent on others to complete his goals. Madara was used to being able to accomplish things himself. However, given the circumstances it seems that it would be necessary for him to expand his circle of resources beyond merely that of Zetsu. The thought of it gave Madara mixed emotions. When he had been younger he was more prone to rely on the help of others and allowed them to sometimes take the lead. Years of exile had eroded away any collaborative spirit he had ever had leaving only the one simple truth: he was a god and none could oppose him. A crucial part of his plan, a plan that would benefit the world, would require him to rule it with power. Unfortunately, that wouldn't quite be possible as of yet. This situation put him in a bit of a bind.

Through his many years in combat he was well aware of what means were at his disposal to regain his power, each with benefits and costs. The multi-heart technique of a certain waterfall ninja was one in particular that struck him as potentially beneficial. The second and far more appealing option however was Reincarnation. Why bother maintaining a body such as this when it would be far more useful to become revived and return at full strength. The primary downside of this technique is that it would require someone to be alive after his death to replace him. A smirk crept to his face as he considered the irony, Tobirama's technique made to protect his village would soon become its downfall. With that thought Madara had concocted a plan, one which would bring him back to the forefront of the hearts and minds of shinobi worldwide.

Perhaps in his old age Madara was no longer a team player the way Hashirama would ever consider it. But, as the older man began to put the finishing touches on his own grand design, he thought the mentor role was one he still had a talent for. What better ward to have than a child from the greatest clan in existence? What better successor for his plan than an Uchiha.

Naruto considered the Konoha headband he now displayed upon his forehead. It was quite heavier than what he had expected. What Iruka had said to him that night, that he was an inheritor of the Will of Fire and a Leaf shinobi. All of that had struck him. He had never considered Iruka anything more than the the most frequent of the people to stop his pranks. But now? Perhaps a friend. He had enjoyed the praise Iruka had heaped on him after he successfully did one of the high level jutsu from the scroll, but he was certain he couldn't do that again.

The sun hung lazily in the sky signaling the end of yet another day. Naruto had spent a good part of the day reflecting on what had happened in the past few hours. A loud grumbling erupted from his stomach letting him know this was hungry work. He stared guiltily at his wallet Gamachan. Money management was an important skill for being an adult, but surely he could spare one meal at Ichiraku's?

With the headband now placed upon his forehead, everything changed. The eyes of villagers now firmly fixed upon him as he walked by. A firm nod was given from passerbys. Naruto was astounded and a tightness in his chest occurred. All his life he had spent a shadow, unnoticed and uncared for, this headband upon his forehead had provided him with the visibility he had longed for. Rather it would have had it not been he who was wearing it. He could still tell people did not respect him as a person, but as a soldier of the Leaf he had to be acknowledged at least.

As he reached the stand that had captured his heart he saw a familiar face there: Iruka. His former teacher was engrossed in a conversation with Techui's daughter who was dividing her time between him and a rather large pot. The thought of the contents inside just made Naruto's stomach growl even louder.

"Iruka sensei! I didn't know you liked ramen that much," Naruto said in a voice too loud for the occasion.

"Oh Naruto, I see you're already getting into good habits. Wearing your headband is an important identifier for all shinobi."

Naruto glowed at the compliment in addition to the attention it gave him from villagers.

"Right! I'm practically an adult now!"

"Well Naruto, since you're so big and tough now, how about I treat you to a meal here?"

How could he refuse a free meal, besides there were many things he still had to ask the man about what it was he was even signing up for. As they sat down to wait, Naruto observed Iruka. The man sat with a cautious ease. His body seemed tense yet content at the same time as if ready to react in a moment's notice. Naruto tried to posture himself in a similar way but couldn't quite pull it off.

"It comes with practice Naruto, it's not something you get right away," Iruka said without even looking at him. Iruka was growing even higher in Naruto's estimation.

"Hey Iruka sensei, that reminds me of something I wanted to ask you. What is the Will of Fire?"

"Naruto you don't remember," Iruka said sternly, "maybe you should read up in a textbook instead of going out to eat."

"No not like that," Naruto said, "I know. It's that the village is like a giant family and we're all fighting to protect each other. But that's the thing. I don't have a family, so I don't even know what it's like to have a family to protect. How do you figure that out?"

Iruka's face darkened and Naruto felt as though he asked something he shouldn't have. Iruka reached toward him which made Naruto tense like a frightened animal. Then Iruka's hand ruffled his hair.

"That can be hard to deal with Naruto, I know for a fact. I lost my family just like you and the hole in your life it creates can make it hard to fill. What I do know is that soon you'll begin to see your family in other people. Just as I see my family in the children I teach, you too will see the people around you as family and know what it means to love and protect a family member. I feel that way for you Naruto."

"So I just have to wait? That's so boring! How can I be a great ninja if I don't know how to feel the Will of Fire?"

"It's something you'll have to figure out for yourself."

The way Iruka's eyes radiated warmth made Naruto uncomfortable. It was a look that few had ever given me and to receive in conversation such as this made him unsure what to make of it. He could only look down at his ramen and begin to eat.

After eating with Iruka and going their separate ways, Naruto had a lot to think about. How in the world could he feel the Will of Fire if he didn't know what a family was like? Where was he going to find people who could be that for him? People acknowledged him now sure, but that was a far cry from them actually liking him. As he entered his apartment he noticed the window was open. On the window sill there was a basket of vegetables.

"The ghost again," Naruto said to no one in particular. He grabbed the basket and looked through the assorted vegetables he'd received. He placed it with care on his dinner table. The ghost of his parents had visited him once again to tell him to eat his vegetables. This had been a regular occurrence for as long as he could remember. Besides reminding him that someone in this world still knew he existed, it was a connection to the only family he ever had. As Naruto stared at the basket, the things Iruka said made a little more sense. In time perhaps, he too would know what it meant to love.


End file.
